Top 10 Best Characters in the Soul Calibur Series

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Six long years after its predecessor was launched, Soulcalibur VI has finally arrived. To celebrate, we’re gonna list the 10 best characters the series has produced. Sorry, but guest characters are not included.

We rated them according to their design, personality, story and fighting style. The more unique they are compared to their peers, the higher their rank. Don’t be surprised to see a handful of odd characters, because we believe the weirder the better. So, let’s start.

A quite recent addition to Soulcalibur’s roster, Xiba has been only introduced in Soulcalibur V and has captured many hearts since then. He uses a staff as his weapon, and his fighting style is reminiscent of Kilik’s, but quirkier in nature. What we really like about Xiba is his personality, though. He just loves to eat, and he makes sure to let everyone know of it even in his defeat. Yup, he yells ‘Food!’ when his HP bar reaches zero. He also has a bright, easy-going personality that doesn’t care much about insults thrown at him. He is pure and fun-spirited, making his way into the top 10 in our list.

The Iron Maiden, Ashlotte Maedel is an emotionless doll only driven by an order assigned to her by her creators. Her weapon of choice is a hybrid of an axe and a lance that is taller than her and yet she wields it like it’s no big deal. While she is only a bonus character and shares the same moveset with Astaroth, we have to say that she looks so much cooler. We mean, a petite frame tossing and slamming opponents with her bare hands? That totally rocks!

Probably one of the most controversial characters in the game, Ivy rose to prominence thanks to her unique play style and, more especially, revealing clothing. Some might call it over the top, but we find it a beautiful addition to the roster’s variety. Where else can we see a dominatrix fight? Ivy’s allure might be the reason why she got attention, but it’s her playstyle that put her in the hearts of many. Her sword can transform into a whip, letting her attack from afar and allowing for creative moves and combos. Her spiteful and sadistic nature also really fits her outfit perfectly. We told you she’s a dominatrix, didn’t we?

Don’t let her pretty face and small frame fool you. Amy might look calm and innocent, but she won’t hesitate to strike down her foes with all she got. If anything, her speed and combos are one of the best in the game. She uses a rapier and shares some moveset with Raphael, her foster father, but we find her attacks more graceful and pleasant to watch. What we like most about her is actually her ending. It’s easily one of the best in the game, comically speaking.

If there is an alternate universe where Elvis and Bruce Lee got a child, Maxi would be it. Except that he is also a freelance pirate and on a quest for revenge. Like Bruce Lee, his weapon is a nunchaku and he can easily dish out combos from one move to another. In fact, he might just be the best character in terms of doing combos alone. Maxi’s persona is something else though. Like he’s really good at insulting. These very insults themselves actually make playing with him more satisfying after each win. In your face, losers!

Another pirate like Maxi but more pirate-ish, Cervantes features a ghastly design that really stands out. He wears a traditional outfit with evil undertones, which we find really suiting to his antagonist role without being way over the top. A safe choice in competitive matches, Cervantes wields two swords simultaneously, and he specializes in knocking down opponents and tossing them up in the air—which is always fun to watch. His attacks may not be easy to execute, but his strength is formidable once mastered.

Pyrrha in her original state can be quite annoying at times with her reluctance to fight, but Pyrrha Omega makes her much more enjoyable. She loves to fight and hurt her opponents, even laughing maniacally while doing one of her throws. Her madness and desire for violence makes her a really interesting character, especially when compared to her old weak-willed self. Unlike most of her peers, Pyrrha actually isn’t as experience in combat, which explains the lackluster stance. Still, her sword and shield attacks are quite formidable in the game and she is generally considered a high-tier fighter in competitive games.

The poster boy of the franchise, Nightmare is one of the most iconic characters in the series. As the main antagonist of the franchise, Nightmare features an over-the-top evil design that digs in on us. How can we not love him? He has a big-ass sword that has a freaking eye on it. And it’s awesome. It’s quite sad though that he’s always killed in the story. But hey, he also always comes back, so there’s that. Nightmare’s attacks are usually slow, but boy are they explosive. He can also perform powerful combos that can blasts enemies up the air. What’s more is that his moves are actually quite easy to learn, so it’s easy to like him as a beginner.

Yes. Yoshimitsu is not a guest character in the Soulcalibur franchise, and he has been present since day one. But being a cross-over character isn’t why he’s so up in this list. It’s because of his absolute weirdness and unorthodox fighting style. Instead of clapping with his hands, he chose to clap with his feet. And that’s just funny and interesting at the same time. Now, there might be a lot of sword-wielding characters in the game, but Yoshimitsu’s style varies very differently from the cast. He shares many of his moves from Tekken, including his hara-kiri killing strike and sword-standing stance among others. Have you also seen his helicopter-like attack? It’s totally sick.

The most precious one in the entire series, Talim is just pure goodness from within. Unlike other characters in the game, Talim is very much forgiving and merciful. She is so kind-hearted that she even resurrected her enemy’s loved one, realizing how broken they are. She has changed the hearts of others both in the game and out, making her truly stand out from the rest of the cast. Her gameplay isn’t moot either. She wields dual elbow blades and moves quickly and unpredictably. Her moves might look simple from the start, but she is very strong if you know how to press the right buttons.

Our final thoughts

So there are the top characters we find in the series. It’s a bummer that not everyone here was included in the new installment, but it can’t be helped since it’s a reboot of the series. Let’s just hope that the new ones are just as interesting as those that we miss.

Which was your favourite?

Don't agree with our ranking? Choose your favourite below and tell us in the comments how we got it wrong